Falcons ride fast start to remain
perfect through first 15 games
WALTHAM, Mass. (January 9,
2007) - Bentley College, ranked fourth in the most recent
NABC Division II poll, used a hot start in the first half and had
an answer for every Franklin Pierce run the rest of the way in
posting a 77-65 victory in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball
action at the Dana Athletic Center tonight.
Junior Yusuf Abdul-Ali
(Springfield, Mass.) led a balanced Bentley effort with a
game-high 20 points (12 second half) as he hit 6-of-11 shots from
the field, including 4-9 from three-point range, to go with three
rebounds and four assists. Sophomore Lew Finnegan
(Lexington, Mass.) totaled 13 points, nine rebounds, three
assists and two steals, while senior Jeff Holmes
(Westbrook, Maine) added 13 points and three boards.
Freshman Jason Westrol (Brielle, N.J.) chipped in
ten points, five rebounds (three offensive) and two assists.
Senior Nazim Senaldi
(Istanbul, Turkey) came off the bench to lead Franklin
Pierce with a career-best 19 points as he connected on 6-of-12
shots from the field (1-1 three's) and converted 6-of-7
free-throws, to go with three rebounds (two offensive), three
assists and three steals. Sophomore Timothy Munch
(Blauvelt, N.Y./Storm King Prep) registered 15 points,
five rebounds and three steals, while senior Darryl
Minnifield (Boston, Mass./Brookline) finished with 13
points, three rebounds, three assists and two
steals.
Bentley held a slight edge in
shooting for the night, hitting 44.4-percent (24-54) of its shots
from the field on the night, including 56% (14-25) in the second
half, compared to 43.1% (22-51) for Franklin Pierce, 51.9% (14-27)
in the second half. Bentley also took advantage of a 38-26
rebounding advantage, posting a 17-8 scoring edge in second chance
points. The Falcons also out-scored the Ravens 23-12 at the
free-throw line.
Bentley scored the first 11 points
of the game, hitting its first four shots from the field and two
free-throw attempts, to take immediate control of the contest. The
Falcons held Franklin Pierce to just four points over the opening
ten minutes of the contest, charging out to leads of 16-2 (13:54)
and 21-5, after a Finnegan three-pointer with 9:51 left in the
half.
An 11-3 Franklin Pierce run, capped
by a Marcus Wellman (Monroe, Conn./Hamden Hall)
three-pointer, drew the Ravens within eight (24-16) with 6:40 left
in the frame. Bentley answered and regained a 17-point lead (37-20)
after a conventional three-point play by Finnegan with 2:23 left in
the stanza.
Franklin Pierce scored the last
five points of the half to pull within 12 (37-25) at the break and
continued to close the gap, drawing within nine (39-30) after a
Munch layup a minute into the second half. Senaldi followed up a
Ravens miss to bring the guests within seven (47-40) with 14:41
left, but Bentley regained an 11-point lead (51-40) after an
Abdul-Ali layup with 13:11 to go.
The Ravens again cut their deficit
to seven (51-44) following two Wellman free-throws with 12:33
remaining, but an 11-2 Falcon run pushed their lead back to 17
(66-49) after a three-point play by junior Nate Fritsch
(Durham, N.C.) with 7:06 to play. Franklin Pierce made one
final run at the Falcons, closing within eight (73-65) after a
Minnifield three-pointer with 1:15 to go, but the hosts hit their
last six free-throw attempts over the final 1:32 to seal the
victory.
Franklin Pierce (8-7, 6-5 NE-10) is
back in action on Saturday when it visits Southern New Hampshire
University at 3:30 p.m. The Ravens are back home next Tuesday when
it hosts Le Moyne College at 7:30 p.m. Bentley (15-0, 11-0 NE-10)
visits Le Moyne College on Saturday at 3 p.m.
BOXSCORE
